North Sask River
WATER RESOURCE COMMITTEE INC.

Interesting Facts

• The North Saskatchewan originates 1,800 metres above sea level in the massive 325 sq. km Columbia Icefield in Banff National Park and flows over 1,000 kilometers to the Alberta/Saskatchewan border. It joins the South Saskatchewan River in Saskatchewan and eventually empties into the Hudson Bay in Manitoba. (Wikipedia)
• North Saskatchewan River has a length of 1,287 km (800 mi), and a drainage area of 122,800 square kilometers. At its end point at Saskatchewan River Forks it has a mean discharge of 245 cubic meters/s. The yearly discharge at the Alberta/Saskatchewan border is more than 7 billion cubic meters. (Wikipedia)
• Annually, Canada's rivers discharge 7% of the world's renewable water supply - 105,000 cubic metres per second. (Environment Canada)
• Approximately 60% of Canada's fresh water drains north, while 85% of the population lives within 300 kilometres of the southern border with the United States. (Environment Canada)
• Fifteen to twenty-five percent of the Prairie Region is wetland. (Environment Canada)
• With approximately 8% of its territory covered by lakes, Canada has more lake area than any other country in the world. (Environment Canada)
• In Canada, the individual river system with the largest drainage area is the Mackenzie River, with 1,805 200 square kilometers. (Environment Canada)
• The river in Canada with the greatest annual discharge is the St. Lawrence River at 9,850 cubic metres per second. (Environment Canada)
• Canada has 563 lakes having an area greater than 100 square kilometres. (Environment Canada)
• During the period from September 2001 to August 2002, over 65% of prairie cropland in Canada was affected by moderate, severe or record drought conditions. (Environment Canada)
• Hydropower currently provides 19% of the world's total electricity supply. (Environment Canada)
• The average large dam today is about 35 years old. (Environment Canada)
• The largest hydro-electric power development in Canada is the James Bay project in Quebec, which started producing electricity in 1982. (Environment Canada)
• Although the Canadian Dam Association register of dams (2003) reports 933 large dams in the country, there are many thousands of smaller dams. (Environment Canada)
• Water power meets about 62% of Canada's electrical needs. (Environment Canada)
• Canada is the largest producer of hydroelectricity, followed by the United States and Brazil. (Environment Canada)
• Quebec has 333 large dams, more than any other province in Canada. (Environment Canada)
• There are approximately 770 dams in the Prairie Provinces. (Environment Canada)